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Sabtu, 17 Juni 2023

🔴 Live: African delegation to meet Putin in Russia in bid to de-escalate Ukraine war - FRANCE 24 English

A delegation of African leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of its mission to try to broker peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. The meeting comes a day after the delgation met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and as Putin confirmed that he has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

5:05pm: South African president Ramaphosa arrives in Russia amid African peace mission

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived on Saturday in Russia, as part of a mission of African leaders aiming to push for peace between Moscow and Kyiv, the South African presidency said.

"His arrival in Russia's cultural capital, follows constructive discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky," the presidency said, adding the African delegation would "meet with President Vladimir Putin to seek a road to peace to the 16 months-long conflict between Ukraine and Russia which has thus caused devastating economic impact, loss of life and global instability."

His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa has arrived at St Petersburg International Airport in the Russian Federation where he joins other African Heads of State and Government participating in the Africa Peace Initiative for peace talks with His Excellency President Vladimir… pic.twitter.com/fiHaRuEY3w
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 17, 2023

1:31pm: African delegation to Ukraine and Russia has a 'neutrality problem', some critics say

The self-styled African peace delegation that visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, and that is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg today, has a “neutrality problem”, some critics say, with zero chance of succeeding with its mission, FRANCE 24’s international affairs editor Douglas Herbert explained.

“You have six nations taking part in this mission, and what is interesting is that more than a dozen African nations failed to condemn the Russian invasion early on. Four of the nations on this mission abstained from that [UN] resolution condemning the invasion (South Africa, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville and Uganda)”, Herbert said, noting only Egypt and Zambia did so.

“So you have a neutrality problem here,” Herbert said, adding that “all roads in this delegation really lead to its most influential member, South Africa, which last month was accused by the US ambassador to Pretoria of supplying Russia with weapons and ammunition. South Africa has denied the allegations.

Aside from being seen as lacking in neutrality, Herbert said critics view the mission as “small fry” that will not be able to accomplish any kind of de-escalation.

1:19pm: Russian missile kills four in Kharkiv region, governor says

A Russian missile strike on a small village in the Kharkiv region in the east killed four people on Saturday, regional Governor Oleh Synehubov said.

Synehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian military shelled the village of Huryiv Kozachok and an anti-tank guided missile hit a car driving towards the village, which is near the border with Russia. Four civilians who were in the car died on the spot, he said.

Ukraine liberated many villages and towns in the Kharkiv region last autumn but since then the Russian military has frequently shelled the area, destroying critical infrastructure and injuring and killing residents.

11:39am: Russia says it repelled drone attack on oil refinery in Bryansk

Russia on Saturday said air defence forces had destroyed three drones targeting an oil refinery in the southern border region of Bryansk, as Ukraine pursues its counteroffensive against Russian forces.

"Russian air defence systems repelled an overnight attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the 'Druzhba' oil refinery in the district of Novozybkov," the governor of the Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, said.

He did not mention any damage.

10:06am: Russian defence minister says more tanks needed in Ukraine

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday called for more tanks to be manufactured “to meet the needs of Russian forces” in Ukraine after Kyiv launched a counteroffensive with Western arms.

Shoigu, who visited a military factory in western Siberia, stressed the need “to maintain the increased production of tanks” and for better security features in armoured vehicles, the defence ministry said.

Shoigu said this was necessary “to satisfy the needs of Russian forces carrying out the special military operation” in Ukraine, it added.

9:46am: Kremlin links granting accreditations to Western media with 'behaviour'

Russia will take into account the “behaviour” of Western media when deciding whether to accredit their journalists for major forums in Russia, the state-owned TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Saturday.

Journalists from countries that Russia calls “unfriendly” did not get accreditation for the ongoing St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

7:07am: African leaders prepare to meet Putin after Zelensky rules out talks

A high-level African delegation was set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the northwestern city of St Petersburg this Saturday, a day after its calls for talks between Moscow and Kyiv were rebuffed by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

“In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say, and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin,” said South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose delegation consists also of the presidents of Senegal, Zambia and Comoros.

The leaders of Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.

The diplomatic team visited Kyiv on Friday, where Ramaphosa insisted “there should be peace through negotiations”.

But Zelensky ruled out that possibility: “I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering”.

10:26pm, June 16: 'Every metre' of recaptured Ukrainian land 'of utmost importance', says Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that every metre of Ukrainian territory recaptured from Russian occupying forces was "of the utmost importance" in Ukraine's current counteroffensive against them.

"Our movement forward is the most critical thing," Zelensky said in his nightly video address after meeting top military commanders.

"Every soldier, every new step we take, every metre of Ukrainian land freed from the enemy is of utmost importance."

9:27pm: Zelensky urges African leaders to press Putin on release of political prisoners

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to a group of African leaders to ask Vladimir Putin to free political prisoners from Crimea and beyond – saying it would be an “important step” in their trip to the Russian city of St Petersburg on Saturday.

Several African leaders – the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia – as well as Egypt’s prime minister and top envoys from Congo -Brazzaville and Uganda visited Ukraine on Friday as part of a self-styled “peace mission” to both Ukraine and Russia to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war between them.

The tenor of the press conference soured when Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a “road map” to peace, prompting questions from Zelensky, who sought a clarification and insisted he didn't want “any surprises” from their visit with Putin.

Zelensky then urged them to help free political prisoners from Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

“Would you please ask Russia to liberate the political prisoners?" Zelensky said. "Maybe this will be an important result of your mission, of your ‘road map’.”

5:35pm: Putin says Russia sent nuclear warheads to Belarus

President Vladimir Putin on Friday confirmed that Russia had sent nuclear arms to its ally Belarus which borders Ukraine.

“The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus ... This is the first part,” Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

It was the first time the Russian leader confirmed the move himself.

Putin said the weapons are meant as deterrence to “those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia”. Belarusian troops began training on nuclear-capable Russian missile systems in April.

Key developments from Friday, June 16:

An African delegation including the leaders of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia and Comoros met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine and called on both Kyiv and Moscow to de-escalate hostilities and engage in peace talks. Zelensky ruled out the talks, saying that “negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told an economic forum in St Petersburg that Russian tactical nuclear weapons had now been deployed to Belarus and should serve as a deterrence to “those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia”.

Read yesterday's liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

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2023-06-17 05:40:03Z
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Uganda school attack: Pupils among 40 killed by militants linked to Islamic State group - BBC

Uganda security forces at the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School on 17 June

By Patience Atuhaire in Kampala & James Gregory in London

BBC News

Around 40 people, mostly pupils, have been killed at a school in western Uganda by rebels linked to the Islamic State group (IS).

A further eight people remain in a critical condition after the attack on Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe.

Boys staying in dormitories are among the dead. Several others, mostly girls, have been abducted, authorities say.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) - based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - have been blamed.

Warning: Some people may find details in this story distressing.

The attack happened at around 23:30 (20:30 GMT) on Friday at the school in the Kasese district in western Uganda.

Over 60 people are educated at the school, most of whom live there.

Some five suspected ADF rebels carried out the attack, burning the school buildings and looting the food store, the Ugandan army has said.

Some of the boys were burnt or hacked to death, Maj Gen Dick Olum from the army told the media.

The ages of the victims are not known.

Some of the bodies are said to have been badly burnt and DNA tests will need to be carried out to identify them.

The attackers are said to have torched the students' mattresses and are also thought to have detonated bombs in the region.

Photos of burning buildings at the school have circulated on social media.

Members of the wider community are possibly among the dead. A number of students remain unaccounted for and the exact number of those who died is still unclear.

Many of the bodies were transferred to Bwera Hospital, national police spokesperson Fred Enanga said.

Soldiers are pursuing ADF insurgents towards the DRC's Virunga national park - Africa's oldest and largest national park which is home to rare species, including mountain gorillas.

Militias including the ADF also use the vast expanse, which borders Uganda and Rwanda, as a hideout.

"Our forces are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted and destroy this group," defence spokesperson Felix Kulayigye said on Twitter.

The Ugandan army has also deployed helicopters to help track the rebel group over mountainous terrain.

Uganda and the DRC have held joint military operations in the east of DR Congo to prevent attacks by the ADF.

Security forces had intelligence that rebels were in the border area on the DRC side for at least two days before Friday night's attack, Major General Olum said.

The deadly episode follows last week's attack by suspected ADF fighters in a village in the DRC near to the Ugandan border. Over 100 villagers fled to Uganda but have since returned.

The attack on the school, located less than two kilometres (1.25 miles) from the DRC border, is the first such attack on a Ugandan school in 25 years.

In June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the border of DRC. More than 100 students were abducted.

The ADF was created in eastern Uganda in the 1990s and took up arms against long-serving President, Yoweri Museveni, alleging government persecution of Muslims.

Muslims make up almost 14% of the Ugandan population, according to official government figures, though the Ugandan Muslim Supreme Council estimates the figure is closer to 35%.

Some members of the Ugandan Muslim community say they face discrimination in public life, including in education and the workplace.

After defeat by the Ugandan army in 2001, the ADF relocated to North Kivu province in the DRC.

The group's principal founder, Jamil Makulu, was arrested in Tanzania in 2015 and is in custody in a Ugandan prison.

ADF rebels have been operating from inside the DRC for the past two decades.

Makulu's successor, Musa Seka Baluku, reportedly first pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2016, but it was not until April 2019 that IS first acknowledged its activity in the area.

Islamic State as a group has been mostly defeated, though there are significant numbers of IS-affiliated militant groups across the Middle East and Africa.

After years of not operating openly in Uganda, the ADF was blamed for a series of attacks in late 2021 including suicide bombings in Uganda's capital Kampala.

Major General Camille Bombele, coordinator of the Joint Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo-Ugandan People's Defence Forces Military Operations talking with officers at the headquarters in the Virunga National Park on 17 December 2021

Jumat, 16 Juni 2023

Russia-Ukraine war live: explosions reported in Kyiv during visit of African leaders on peace mission - The Guardian

From 4h ago

Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reports that its correspondents have heard explosions in Kyiv. The local authority has said that air defence is in operation. The attack comes shortly after South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in the capital as part of a peace delegation which is also expected to visit Moscow. An air alert is in place across much of Ukraine with reports of Kalibr cruise missiles being fired from the Black Sea.

More details soon …

Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels have failed to reach agreement over the alliance’s first defence plans since the end of the cold war, two officials told Reuters on Friday (See post at 11:43).

“While regional plans were not formally endorsed today, we anticipate these plans will be part of a series of deliverables for the Vilnius summit in July,” a senior US official said.

Nato defence ministers and senior Nato officials pose for the official press photo on the second day of the Nato defence ministers’ meeting on 16 June, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium.

Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin has said that Russia’s public finances were generally balanced and that it had had to increase defence spending to reinforce its security.

The Russian president said:

Naturally, additional funds were needed to strengthen defence and security, to purchase weapons. We were forced to do this to protect our country’s sovereignty.

I should say that on the whole this justifies itself from an economic point of view, he added.

Vladimir Putin has said Russia’s economy may grow by up to 2% this year as it bounces back from last year’s contraction in the face of sweeping western sanctions.

Putin’s forecast for gross domestic product (GDP) growth, delivered at Russia’s flagship economic forum in St Petersburg, is similar to those of other Russian authorities, Reuters reports.

The International Monetary Fund in April forecast Russian GDP growth at 0.7%, up from 0.3% in a previous estimate, but lowered its 2024 forecast to 1.3% from 2.1%.

Vladimir Putin has started speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. You can watch a live feed of the speech at the top of the blog.

The forum, being held between 14 and 17 June, has for decades been Russia’s vehicle for touting its development and seeking investors.

The Russian president’s appearances at the forum have been highly visible and he often used the occasion to hold roundtable discussions with international news executives.

The spectre of the Russia-Ukraine war looms large over the forum this year, with many notable absentees, including no representation from Europe or the US.

Yury Ushakov, a top Kremlin foreign policy aide, said on Friday that Russia was unlikely to quit the Black Sea grain deal before it comes up for renewal on 17 July, state media reported.

Russian officials have said, however, they see no grounds to extend it beyond that, Reuters reports.

Vladimir Putin said this week that Moscow was considering withdrawing from the deal – which enables Ukraine to ship grain from its Black Sea ports – because it had been “cheated” by the west over promises to remove barriers to Russia’s own grain and fertiliser exports.

Two children and an elderly woman have been injured in the Kyiv region after a Russian missile attack, with more than 30 houses being damaged, the Kyiv Post cited the regional police as saying (See post at 10:58).

The South African president’s security team has been stuck on a plane in Poland for several hours, the BBC has reported.

Radio Zet, a Polish radio station, reportedly claimed that the SAA plane that has been stuck on the tarmac at an airport in Warsaw will not be able to disembark.

“It turns out that some of the delegation do not have the documents to leave the airport. Secondly, unofficially, the president’s additional bodyguards have weapons. They do not have the proper permits for them,” Radio Zet was quoted as saying.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya reassured people that South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived safely in Kyiv by train, despite the delays experienced by some of his security team.

He said:

I would like to assure all South Africans that there has been no compromise whatsoever to the president’s safety as a result of the impasse that involved the charter flight with the presidential protection services team and the media.

We acknowledge the regrettable nature of that incident. Our officials are engaging with their Polish counterparts to resolve the impasse.

Vladimir Putin hailed Russia’s ties with the United Arab Emirates on Friday as he met the leader of the oil-rich nation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in St Petersburg (See post at 11:12)

“The Emirates are a very good partner,” Putin said in televised comments at the start of the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of an economic summit in Russia’s second city.

Putin thanked Sheikh Mohammed for the role the UAE has played in prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine and Russia and the US, AFP reports.

Sheikh Mohammed said he was in favour of “de-escalation” and a “political solution” to the Ukraine war during the talks, in which the pair discussed their countries’ “strategic partnership”, according to the UAE official news agency WAM.

Russia and UAE have closely cooperated as members of the OPEC+ oil alliance and Dubai is one of the rare world capitals to have maintained direct flights to Moscow following the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022.

South Africa’s presidency has just posted some videos from Kyiv’s St Michael’s Square on Twitter. They were filmed receiving a briefing by representatives of Ukraine’s ministry of defence.

African leaders have began a peace mission, hoping to mediate between Ukraine and Russia (See post at 07:56).

African leaders, including South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and Senegalese president Macky Sall, began their trip by visiting the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv.

Ukraine says Russian occupiers carried out executions, rapes and torture in Bucha, and international investigators are collecting evidence of war crimes. Russia denies the allegations.

As Ukraine pushes on with its counteroffensive, the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and other senior officials from Nato member countries are continuing into a second day of ministerial meetings in Brussels.

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s general secretary, left open the prospect that his term may be extended as senior officials from alliance member countries openly endorsed the idea on Thursday.

Ben Wallace, Britain’s defence secretary, was previously tipped as a contender owing to his role in supporting Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.

Nato ministers of defence and Nato secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L), US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin (C) and British defence secretary Ben Wallace (R) for an official photograph at the Nato headquarters in Brussels.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday its forces had repelled numerous attempted counterattacks by the Ukrainian army at different frontline locations in the last 24 hours, inflicting heavy losses on Kyiv’s forces.

Ukraine says its forces have recaptured at least seven villages and 100 square km in the early stages of a counteroffensive it hopes will gather greater momentum as it commits more soldiers, Reuters reports.

In its daily update on fighting, Russia’s defence ministry said it had inflicted significant losses on Ukrainian troops during what it described as unsuccessful Ukrainian counteroffensive operations in the South Donetsk and Donetsk directions.

It said Russia had used ground troops, air strikes and artillery fire to repel Ukrainian troops, and that in the last 24 hours at various locations had killed about 500 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed five tanks.

Many armoured vehicles and other items of Ukrainian military hardware had also been destroyed, it added. These claims could not be immediately independently verified.

There are bridges being built to strengthen the partnership between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s president, told Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a forum in St. Petersburg on Friday.

“I am pleased to be here today with you, your excellency, and we wish to build on this relationship and we put our trust in you to do so,” Sheikh Mohammed was quoted by Reuters as saying.

When Putin makes his annual keynote speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, he will reportedly be joined on stage only by the president of Algeria, as Western companies have almost universally shunned the self-styled “Russian Davos”.

Kyiv’s mayor reported there was no damage to Ukraine’s capital after a missile attack by Russia on Friday morning. According to information provided by the Ukrainian air force, the city’s defences shot down six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles and two reconnaissance drones.
Explosions from the action of air defences were reported in Ukraine’s capital as the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, and other African leaders were in Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskiy as part of a peace initiative. The leaders are due to head to Moscow and meet Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the Ukrainian presidency, said “The Russian missile attack took place just when the leaders of African countries arrived in the capital. Putin wants to demonstrate that he is willing to disregard the safety of foreign leaders, he actually doesn’t care because he feels complete impunity.”
Kherson’s regional authority has said that 1,649 houses in 17 settlements on the right bank of the Dnipro remain flooded after the collapse of the Kakhovka dam. They also claim that 17 settlements remain flooded on the opposite bank, which is occupied by Russian forces.
Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi has posted a video which claims to show Ukrainian forces taking out Russian positions near the town of Bakhmut. In a short message on Telegram, the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces said “The enemy is steadily losing equipment near Bakhmut, our soldiers are knocking the Russians out of their positions.”
Russian troops who have destroyed German-made Leopard tanks and US-supplied armoured vehicles being used by Ukraine will receive bonus payments, the defence ministry said on Friday. The ministry said this was part of a wider reward scheme under which more than 10,000 Russian servicemen had received individual bonuses since the start of the war nearly 16 months ago.
150 children have been illegally taken from the Luhansk region to Russia, according to Ukraine’s National Resistance Centre. It said the children were taken from the occupied region’s Starobilsk district on 8 June to two centres in the Prikuban district of Russia’s Karachay-Cherkess republic.
Ukraine has regained control of more than 100 sq km (38 sq miles) of territory in its counteroffensive, senior Ukrainian military commander Brig Gen Oleksii Hromov has claimed. The deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said there was a “gradual but steady advance” but that Russian forces were putting up “powerful resistance” on the southern front.

Suspilne reports that Kyiv sustained no damage or injuries in this morning’s Russian missile attack. On its official Telegram channel it wrote:

Mayor Klitschko clarified that the explosions in the Podilsky district of Kyiv were heard due to the work of the air defence forces in the region. There is no damage in Kyiv after the missile attack.

Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the Ukrainian presidency, has commented on Telegram about this morning’s attack on Kyiv by Russia.

The Russian missile attack took place just when the leaders of African countries arrived in the capital.

Putin wants to demonstrate that he is willing to disregard the safety of foreign leaders, he actually doesn’t care because he feels complete impunity. And anyone can be in the place of the leaders of African countries.

We remember that rockets flew also when US president Joe Biden and UN secretary general António Guterres arrived in Ukraine.

Yermak continued:

The world must understand that consolidation and the toughest possible position towards Russia are now necessary. It is necessary to show strength to the state that undermines global security and acts with terrorist methods.

We must unite around the peace formula of president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. There is no alternative to it. And we must discuss further steps at the Global Peace Summit.

Only strong diplomacy and a strong position can put an end to Russian terrorism. Because it concerns everyone, every state that wants to exist and preserve the world order.

Daniel Boffey reports from Kyiv for the Guardian:

The all clear has sounded in Kyiv. According to information just provided by the Ukrainian air force, the city’s defences shot down six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles and two reconnaissance drones. And life goes on as normal on the streets of the Ukrainian capital.

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2023-06-16 12:51:35Z
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Greece migrant boat disaster survivor has emotional reunion with brother - Sky News

An 18-year-old teenager who survived after a fishing boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Greece has been pictured in an emotional reunion with his brother.

Mohammad, from Syria, was seen crying and holding his elder brother Fadi's arms through a metal barricade at the port of Kalamata in Greece, where survivors had been sleeping for the past two days.

Fadi, who travelled from the Netherlands to search for his brother, said "Thank God for your safety", as he repeatedly kissed his younger sibling on the head.

Dozens more relatives gathered at the port hoping for news, clasping screenshots of their loved ones on their mobiles phones.

At least 78 people drowned and 104 were rescued after the vessel capsized about 50 miles from the southern coastal town of Pylos on Wednesday morning.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster the survivors were brought to shore by Greek authorities, and the bodies of those who died recovered.

Witness accounts suggest between 400 and 750 people had packed the 20 to 30 metre-long fishing boat.

The ageing vessel was thought to have departed from Egypt, then picked up passengers in the Libyan coastal city of Tobruk on 10 June.

Nine people have been arrested over the shipwreck, a Greek shipping ministry official said.

The exact circumstances of the vessel sinking while it was being shadowed by the Greek coastguard are still unclear.

Greek authorities and European Union border protection agency Frontex tracked the boat before it capsized and sank.

Authorities, who were alerted by Italy on Tuesday and subsequently monitored the vessel over a period of 15 hours before it sank, say occupants on the vessel repeatedly refused Greek help, saying they wanted to go to Italy.

Coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou, citing survivor accounts, said that passengers in the hold of the fishing boat included women and children but that the number of missing, believed to be in the hundreds, remained unclear.

Survivors who spoke to Greek authorities said they paid $4,500 each to go to Italy.

The United Nations has recorded more than 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, making it the most dangerous migrant crossing in the world.

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2023-06-16 11:57:56Z
2135239486

Neuschwanstein: Woman killed in attack near historic German castle - BBC

By Matt Murphy

BBC News

A 21-year-old woman has died after she was attacked and thrown from a hill at the historic Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said the woman - who has not been named but is believed to be a US tourist - died overnight after she was shoved 50 metres into a gorge.

Her friend, a 22-year old woman, remains in hospital with serious injuries after she was also pushed when she attempted to stop the assailant.

A US man was detained over the attack.

The 30-year-old tourist, who has not been named by police, initially fled the scene, officers said.

He was later detained on Wednesday after a massive police manhunt involving more than 25 vehicles and was taken to a police station in nearby Fuessen in Bavaria state.

In a statement, police said they believed the man met the women - who German media reported were both American citizens - on a trail near the Marienbrücke bridge. The spot is a popular viewpoint used by tourists to view the castle.

Marienbrücke bridge near Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

He then led them to a hidden trail, on the pretext that the way to the bridge was difficult to navigate, before attacking the 21-year old woman.

"When the 22-year-old wanted to intervene, he choked her and then pushed her down a steep slope," Bavarian police said in a statement.

Officers said that "an attempted sexual offence to the detriment of the 21-year-old must be assumed".

"He then pushed her down the slope, where she came to rest about 50 meters next to her friend," they added.

The 21-year-old woman was taken to hospital by helicopter, but later died from her injuries. Her friend, who is said to be in a serious condition, was responsive when found by police.

Another American tourist, who witnessed the rescue and arrest, told the Associated Press that the man had scratches across his face as he walked with police.

"I'm honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this," Eric Abneri added. "It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff."

He said rescue services had done "an unbelievable job" performing "a very, very difficult rescue".

The man appeared at the Kempten District Court on Thursday, where the investigating judge issued an arrest warrant and the man was remanded into custody.

He is under investigation for murder, attempted murder and attempted sexual assault.

Senior public prosecutor Thomas Hormann told reporters that the investigation into the incident was just beginning.

Neuschwanstein is one of Germany's most popular tourist attractions. More than 1.3 million people visit the site annually, according to the Bavarian finance ministry.

Sitting around 126km (78 miles) from Munich, it was built in the 19th century and intended to serve as a residence for the rulers of the region, but was never occupied.

US pressure on South Africa

The delegation has been designed for breadth and balance: five presidents and Uganda's representative, standing in for President Yoweri Museveni who is recovering from Covid-19.

They come from different parts of Africa and have different views on the conflict.

South Africa and Uganda are seen as leaning towards Russia, while Zambia and Comoros are closer to the West. Egypt, Senegal and Congo-Brazzaville have remained largely neutral.

But recent developments in South Africa appear to be influencing the venture.

Mr Ramaphosa's government has come under growing pressure from the US because of its alleged support for Russia's war. This centres on claims of an arms shipment to Moscow, which South Africa has denied.

A supporter of Malian Interim President wears a face mask of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, during a pro-Junta and pro-Russia rally in Bamako on May 13, 2022

The Biden administration is waiting for the outcome of Pretoria's official investigation, but a bipartisan group of US lawmakers wants the White House to punish South Africa by reconsidering important preferential trade benefits.

"I think [the mission] is now aligned with a need for South Africa to explain itself," says Alex Vines, director of the Africa Programme at London's Chatham House think-tank.

Dr Vines says the Americans are no longer trying to make Africa choose sides in the conflict as they did when Russia first invaded Ukraine.

Many African states have maintained a non-aligned position, a stance the US acknowledges is rooted in the history of the Cold War and does not necessarily mean support for Moscow.

Washington now "advocates true non-alignment", he says, "hence the pressure on South Africa at the moment to prove that it's truly non-aligned".

Mr Ramaphosa has been a driving force in getting the trip into shape, nailing it down with calls to Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky, and briefing UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Although neither Russia nor Ukraine have shown any interest in peace talks, both have an interest in this visit.

Moscow has been cultivating influence in Africa as a counterweight to the West and is hoping to showcase that in a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg next month.

Ukraine has been trying to catch up on African diplomacy from a standing start. It recently sent its foreign minister to the continent to plead its case and would welcome another chance to do so.

The Ukrainians "will probably try to persuade the African mediators not to attend the summit", says Dr Makhubela.

"The Russians want to show that they are not isolated. But their interests are… mutually exclusive. That's why this is going to create a dilemma for African heads of state as to whether they go to St Petersburg," he adds.

Analysts see the summit as an important indicator of Africa's relations with Russia, but not an ideological one.

"Africans are transactional in this," says Dr Vines, noting that the biggest worry of ex-guerrilla fighters in Mozambique he had spoken to recently was the cost of living because of "this distant European war".

"It's not their war," he says.

That is in fact one of the few advantages the African leaders could bring to the peace table as mediators, according to Mr Mutiga, should the parties ever decide to sit at it.

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Cincunri Sakia

Sabtu, 17 Juni 2023

🔴 Live: African delegation to meet Putin in Russia in bid to de-escalate Ukraine war - FRANCE 24 English

5:05pm: South African president Ramaphosa arrives in Russia amid African peace mission

1:31pm: African delegation to Ukraine and Russia has a 'neutrality problem', some critics say

1:19pm: Russian missile kills four in Kharkiv region, governor says

11:39am: Russia says it repelled drone attack on oil refinery in Bryansk

10:06am: Russian defence minister says more tanks needed in Ukraine

9:46am: Kremlin links granting accreditations to Western media with 'behaviour'

7:07am: African leaders prepare to meet Putin after Zelensky rules out talks

10:26pm, June 16: 'Every metre' of recaptured Ukrainian land 'of utmost importance', says Zelensky

9:27pm: Zelensky urges African leaders to press Putin on release of political prisoners

5:35pm: Putin says Russia sent nuclear warheads to Belarus

Key developments from Friday, June 16:

Uganda school attack: Pupils among 40 killed by militants linked to Islamic State group - BBC

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Jumat, 16 Juni 2023

Russia-Ukraine war live: explosions reported in Kyiv during visit of African leaders on peace mission - The Guardian

Greece migrant boat disaster survivor has emotional reunion with brother - Sky News

Neuschwanstein: Woman killed in attack near historic German castle - BBC

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Why South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa is leading Ukraine peace mission - BBC

US pressure on South Africa

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